Recent Developments in Solar-Powered Micro CHP Systems

Over the last two decades, the world has exhibited an unprecedented increase in the energy resources demand due to the huge technological and industrial developments accompanied by a tremendous population growth. The fluctuations in the conventional fossil fuel prices and the global warming problem are urging the need for switching towards renewable energy resources. With the buildings and residential sector contributing to a large portion of energy consumption, micro-scale combined heat and power systems (CHP) tend to be an effective solution to satisfy heating and electricity needs for buildings and residential accommodations. Taking advantage of the decentralized production and the capability of being driven by renewable energy resources, micro CHP systems are presented as a feasible substitute to the central production stations especially in rural and developed areas. The current work provides a comprehensive overview for the recent developments in the field of micro CHP systems. Research studies regarding micro CHP systems applications in buildings and residential accommodations are reviewed. Moreover, recent options for micro CHP prime movers are reviewed and compared in terms of the technology development, performance, environmental and economic impacts. Different applications of solar organic Rankine systems in the residential sector are presented including small-scale electricity production and reverse osmosis desalination systems. Discussions are concentrated on micro CHP systems driven by organic Rankine cycle (ORC) which provides more durability and reliability in operation and reduces maintenance levels and safety concerns. In addition, recent studies dealing with solar ORC micro CHP systems are examined. The current work doesn’t only add to the literature on micro CHP systems but also provides recommendations for future design and development of ORC solar-powered micro CHP systems including working fluid selection and solar collector technology used.